The Academic Bowl is a series of quiz-style tournaments, in which teams of students compete against each other in regional and national events. Each tournament is a question and answer game of general knowledge and quick recall. Questions are drawn from the following categories: Social Studies; Language and Literature; Science and Technology; Mathematics; The Arts and Entertainment; Current Events; Potpourri; and Pop Culture, Leisure, and Sports.

History

Gallaudet University established its first Academic Bowl for Deaf and Hard of Hearing High School students in 1997 with the goal of fostering the pursuit of academic excellence, promoting a spirit of academic competition and sportsmanship, and providing social opportunities for the development of collegiality and lifelong friendships among deaf and hard of hearing high school students across the country.

Who Competes

The competition is open to students grades 9-12, currently enrolled in recognized schools or programs for deaf and hard of hearing students. Schools or programs may be residential schools, day schools, mainstream programs, or any other type of educational program. There are four players to a team. 80 teams participate in the Academic Bowl, with 20 teams in each of the four regions (South, West, Midwest, and East.)

Family and Visitors

Families and visitors are more than welcome to attend the Academic Bowl. The competition schedule will be posted on the website. There is no charge to attend.

East Regional Academic Bowl Competitions

There are four regional Academic Bowl competitions across the United States: up to 20 teams compete in each regional competition, with four pools of five teams each.

Every spring, the GURC-East sponsors and helps to coordinate The Gallaudet Academic Bowl East Regional competitions. The first, second, third, and fourth place Regional Championship winners from each region advance to the national competition held at Gallaudet University in the Spring. Four wild card teams will be drawn to fill up the remaining spots in the four pools at the national competition.

National Academic Bowl Competitions

The Academic Bowl National Championships are held annually, at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.